Tomas Jurco
Tomas Jurco (born on December 28, 1992 in Košice, Slovakia) is a Slovak professional ice hockey right winger for the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League (NHL). Playing Career Junior At the 2009 CHL Import Draft, Jurčo was selected fourth overall by the Saint John Sea Dogs of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). He joined the team that year and was nominated for the 2009–10 QMJHL Rookie of the Year award. Jurco's skill set involves a unique set of hands and good sense of vision on the ice and he was compared to his favorite player and fellow countryman Marian Hossa. Jurčo's videos demonstrating his skills are popular on YouTube amongst many hockey fans. He was a key contributor in the Sea Dogs' Memorial Cup championship title in 2011 where Saint John defeated the Mississauga St. Michael's Majors 3–1 in the Final. On June 25, 2011, the Detroit Red Wings drafted Jurčo in the second round (35th overall) as the team's first pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. Professional On August 7, 2012, Jurčo signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Red Wings and was then assigned to the team's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins for the 2012–13 season. He recorded 14 goals and 14 assists in 74 games in his first professional season. Jurčo was among the team's leading scorers during the 2013 Calder Cup playoffs, recording eight goals and six assists to help lead the Griffins to the Calder Cup championship over the Syracuse Crunch. Jurčo began the 2013–14 season with the Griffins before being called up to the Detroit Red Wings. At the time of his first call-up, he led the Griffins in goals (11), assists (16), points (27) and power play goals (5). On December 15, 2013, he made his NHL debut for the Red Wings in a game against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Two nights later, on 17 December, he scored his first career NHL goal against Jonas Hiller of the Anaheim Ducks. On July 24, 2015, Jurčo signed a two-year contract extension with the Red Wings. On November 17, 2015, he was assigned to the Grand Rapids Griffins on a conditioning assignment. Before being assigned to Grand Rapids, Jurčo appeared in four games for the Red Wings this season, recording one assist. On November 20, 2015, Jurčo tied a franchise record with three power play goals, becoming just the third Griffin to accomplish the feat. Jurčo was named the CCM/AHL Player of the Week for the week ending November 22, 2015. He posted a league-best seven points for the week, three goals & four assists and helped lead the Griffins to three consecutive wins, tallying assists on all three game-winning goals. On November 28, 2015, Jurco was recalled by the Red Wings from his conditioning assignment. In five games for the Griffins, he recorded five goals & four assists and helped lead the Griffins in winning all five games he appeared in. On February 24, 2017, Jurčo was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for a third-round pick in the 2017 draft. During his career with the Red Wings, he recorded 15 goals and 24 assists in 159 games. Statistics Regular season and playoffs International International Play Jurčo represented Slovakia at the 2011 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, scoring one point in six games. He again represented Slovakia at the 2012 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships where he was the leading scorer on the team, recording one goal and seven assists in five games. He was selected to play for the senior Slovakia team at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi where he finished the tournament with one goal in four games. Jurčo represented Slovakia at the 2015 IIHF World Championship, where he recorded one assist in five games. He represented Slovakia at the 2016 IIHF World Championship, where he recorded two goals and three assists in seven games. Personal Life Jurčo is the younger brother of Petra Jurčová, a veteran of the Slovak women's ice hockey team. Gallery Headshots